http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2007/11/20/43323/letters-equal-pay-work-life-balance-and-age-discrimination.html
The above article sparked my interest of equal pay for men and women in the school setting, such as high schools, elementaries, etc... I am extremely close to my English teacher from high school-she has mentored me and is as close to a 2nd mom I will ever get. I called her up yesterday to talk about some of my classes, a paper I had to do, and then I remembered I had read this article. At the very beginning it states how Equal Pay should not be dealt with at a "local level" such as at schools. If it had been anyone else I was talking to, I wouldn't have delved in and asked her about the subject. But, because she and I are close, we started up on the conversation. He husband also works at the same school as the Social Studies teacher. She volunteered the information that she was paid substantially less per year as opposed to her husband. I didn't ask how much or the actual numbers, it's none of my business what their salaries are, but the what she said jumped out at me. He had been working at the school for only 2 years longer than she had, and during those 2 years, she had been employed in a neighboring school district. The Equal Pay problem in our counrty is real and that hit me when she told me this. Something needs to be done!! This is affecting people that I know and love so it makes it that much more real and problematic than ever before.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
http://www.payequity.gov.on.ca/peo/english/faqs.html#apply
How do I know if I am entitled to receive pay equity?
1. Determine if the Pay Equity Act applies to your employer. (Check the list above.)
2. Get information about whether or not your employer did pay equity. If you are represented, speak to your bargaining agent.
3. If your employer posted a pay equity plan, request a copy of the plan.
4. If the employer and/or union does not share information with you, make a complaint. Contact the Pay Equity Commission.
5. Look at the pay equity plan to determine if your job class was included and whether it was identified as a female job class. If you are in a male or gender neutral job class, your job will not be due a pay equity adjustment since pay equity is intended for underpaid female job classes.
6. If your job is a female job class, try to determine how it was valued, what job or jobs it was compared to and what the adjustment was if any. Do you feel that the results in the plan were fair for your job class?
7. If you feel the results were not fair, or would like further information about pay equity, or would like to make an objection or complaint, contact us.
This whole context bothers me. Like in number three, why is it that a person's employer has the control to determine if they want to use a pay equity plan? Ever employer should be required to follow a pay equity plan and follow it. To help diminish unequal pay, there should be harsh consequences to employers who don't follow through with treating employees fairly-whether it be based on gender, race, religion, cultural background, etc... I understand that a plan for pay equity is a good idea and I'm glad some employers have one. All of them need one though to ensure fairness, equality, and to make sure discrimination is not present in their workforce.
How do I know if I am entitled to receive pay equity?
1. Determine if the Pay Equity Act applies to your employer. (Check the list above.)
2. Get information about whether or not your employer did pay equity. If you are represented, speak to your bargaining agent.
3. If your employer posted a pay equity plan, request a copy of the plan.
4. If the employer and/or union does not share information with you, make a complaint. Contact the Pay Equity Commission.
5. Look at the pay equity plan to determine if your job class was included and whether it was identified as a female job class. If you are in a male or gender neutral job class, your job will not be due a pay equity adjustment since pay equity is intended for underpaid female job classes.
6. If your job is a female job class, try to determine how it was valued, what job or jobs it was compared to and what the adjustment was if any. Do you feel that the results in the plan were fair for your job class?
7. If you feel the results were not fair, or would like further information about pay equity, or would like to make an objection or complaint, contact us.
This whole context bothers me. Like in number three, why is it that a person's employer has the control to determine if they want to use a pay equity plan? Ever employer should be required to follow a pay equity plan and follow it. To help diminish unequal pay, there should be harsh consequences to employers who don't follow through with treating employees fairly-whether it be based on gender, race, religion, cultural background, etc... I understand that a plan for pay equity is a good idea and I'm glad some employers have one. All of them need one though to ensure fairness, equality, and to make sure discrimination is not present in their workforce.
What should be done everywhere...
"Equal Pay: LSC studies audits" Published 10.9.08
Employee Benefits Magazine; London, UK
"Alastair Hatch, head of reward at the training body, says: 'The LSC uses a range of approaches to ensure consistency and equality in the application of pay and benefits. One of these is conducting an equal pay review following the implementation of annual pay awards.' "
Why isn't this happening everywhere? There is such unequal pay all over the world, mainly concentrating on "developed" countries. Forcing companines to check for inconsistencies in pay and benefits and the like should be a policy every business operates under. I swear, the United States simply is covering its eyes with both hand and lets one eye peek through just a little tiny bit. That is so it makes it look as though politicians and those in control care and will do "whatever they can" to ensure pay equity to women of the country. Yet, things are the same; women still get paid around 70% of what every man gets. Equal pay reviews should be an annual routine that is demanded by the government. It seems there is such a quite simply fix to these problems, if people would just stick to them and follow through with enacting more legislature to guarantee women of their rights.
Employee Benefits Magazine; London, UK
"Alastair Hatch, head of reward at the training body, says: 'The LSC uses a range of approaches to ensure consistency and equality in the application of pay and benefits. One of these is conducting an equal pay review following the implementation of annual pay awards.' "
Why isn't this happening everywhere? There is such unequal pay all over the world, mainly concentrating on "developed" countries. Forcing companines to check for inconsistencies in pay and benefits and the like should be a policy every business operates under. I swear, the United States simply is covering its eyes with both hand and lets one eye peek through just a little tiny bit. That is so it makes it look as though politicians and those in control care and will do "whatever they can" to ensure pay equity to women of the country. Yet, things are the same; women still get paid around 70% of what every man gets. Equal pay reviews should be an annual routine that is demanded by the government. It seems there is such a quite simply fix to these problems, if people would just stick to them and follow through with enacting more legislature to guarantee women of their rights.
Monday, October 13, 2008
So it is working...? Nope!
http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectId/D45FD4DD-19EA-4AA9-B6402D6DD6F7B5E6/catID/57153B2E-F39E-48DA-830ADA31F5A23325/104/150/175/ART/
"Equal Pay for Equal Work: Everyone's Entitled" by Nolo.com
I started out reading this article and within the first couple sentences I already started getting just a little bit heated. Simply based on conversations I've had and heard, new stories I've read and heard about, and just straight up facts regarding the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The government passed law making it so that NO ONE can be discriminated against in terms of pay based on sex, race, ethnic origins, religion, etc... Why am I even writing a blog describing that women, on average, earn $.77 for every male's $1? There are so many kinks and nooks and crannies that help employers get around claims of unequal pay that the law is virtually pointless and has had little effect on making it so there is actually "equal pay", which is the NAME of the bill for goodness sakes'! I am constantly baffled by how contradicting our society is. Because, even when laws are passed to protect us and be beneficial towards the people (women in this case) it doesn't even work. If, say, there was another bill passed tomorrow that guaranteed equal pay for women EVERYWHERE, there is still no 100% guarantee that comes along with it stating "this written legislature guarantees to effectively ensure that no matter what your sex, if you are doing the same work as another person, the pay will be identical." There are simply too many "if's, and's, & but's" that can sneak their way into our government. Look at what corruption & absolute power in a country can do!
"Equal Pay for Equal Work: Everyone's Entitled" by Nolo.com
I started out reading this article and within the first couple sentences I already started getting just a little bit heated. Simply based on conversations I've had and heard, new stories I've read and heard about, and just straight up facts regarding the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The government passed law making it so that NO ONE can be discriminated against in terms of pay based on sex, race, ethnic origins, religion, etc... Why am I even writing a blog describing that women, on average, earn $.77 for every male's $1? There are so many kinks and nooks and crannies that help employers get around claims of unequal pay that the law is virtually pointless and has had little effect on making it so there is actually "equal pay", which is the NAME of the bill for goodness sakes'! I am constantly baffled by how contradicting our society is. Because, even when laws are passed to protect us and be beneficial towards the people (women in this case) it doesn't even work. If, say, there was another bill passed tomorrow that guaranteed equal pay for women EVERYWHERE, there is still no 100% guarantee that comes along with it stating "this written legislature guarantees to effectively ensure that no matter what your sex, if you are doing the same work as another person, the pay will be identical." There are simply too many "if's, and's, & but's" that can sneak their way into our government. Look at what corruption & absolute power in a country can do!
Ridiculousness!!!
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97nov/pollitt.htm
"Feminism's Unfinished Business" by Katha Pollitt
I decided to use this as one of the sources for my blogs this week. Something really stuck out to me that saddened me and quite frankly, pissed me off. Here I am, weekly finding articles on Equal Pay and information pertaining to it. But yet, in this news article, it discusses such problems that are so much worse in terms of inequality for women, that I don't know how we will ever even get to the point of achieving equal pay. The following excerpt blew me away:
"All her examples, however, are of widely publicized legal outrages: the judge who took custody from a lesbian mother and gave it to the father, a convicted murderer; the judge who barred a custodial mother from letting her male partner sleep over; the judge who transferred custody to a previously uninvolved father because the mother, a college student, enrolled her toddler in day care. Representative cases, or flukes, or something in between? More significant than these shocking anecdotes are studies suggesting that 20 percent of divorcing husbands use the threat of a custody fight to obtain financial concessions, and that half of Massachusetts judges surveyed believe that a mother should be home when school lets out, and many would shift custody to the father if she isn't."
I'm not saying at all that Equal Pay for women is unimportant, but in a way, compared with this information it seems trivial. Since when were convicted felons more capable of raising children as compared to a mother who loves other women??? Come on people!! This is off the wall crazy and insane. I think our court systems and government need a vacuum taken to them so that all the biased, prejudice, and unfair individuals within these offices can be sucked out. Equal pay is a right women deserve, but I almost can't comprehend how horrible cases such as those in the above text occur and that there is more news and coverage on women getting paid equally. I'm sorry that didn't have much to do with my blog topic, but that paragraph really bothered me and something needed to erupt inside of me onto the keyboard instead of being bottled up.
"Feminism's Unfinished Business" by Katha Pollitt
I decided to use this as one of the sources for my blogs this week. Something really stuck out to me that saddened me and quite frankly, pissed me off. Here I am, weekly finding articles on Equal Pay and information pertaining to it. But yet, in this news article, it discusses such problems that are so much worse in terms of inequality for women, that I don't know how we will ever even get to the point of achieving equal pay. The following excerpt blew me away:
"All her examples, however, are of widely publicized legal outrages: the judge who took custody from a lesbian mother and gave it to the father, a convicted murderer; the judge who barred a custodial mother from letting her male partner sleep over; the judge who transferred custody to a previously uninvolved father because the mother, a college student, enrolled her toddler in day care. Representative cases, or flukes, or something in between? More significant than these shocking anecdotes are studies suggesting that 20 percent of divorcing husbands use the threat of a custody fight to obtain financial concessions, and that half of Massachusetts judges surveyed believe that a mother should be home when school lets out, and many would shift custody to the father if she isn't."
I'm not saying at all that Equal Pay for women is unimportant, but in a way, compared with this information it seems trivial. Since when were convicted felons more capable of raising children as compared to a mother who loves other women??? Come on people!! This is off the wall crazy and insane. I think our court systems and government need a vacuum taken to them so that all the biased, prejudice, and unfair individuals within these offices can be sucked out. Equal pay is a right women deserve, but I almost can't comprehend how horrible cases such as those in the above text occur and that there is more news and coverage on women getting paid equally. I'm sorry that didn't have much to do with my blog topic, but that paragraph really bothered me and something needed to erupt inside of me onto the keyboard instead of being bottled up.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Equal Pay in Celebrities' Lives!
"Women served equal pay"; Published by: Herizons, Inc. June 7, 2007; Journal article-ISSN: 0711-7485
"Thirty-nine years after the British Wimbledon tennis tournament became a professional event, women's singles players now receive prize money equal to that of their male counterparts.
Women's tennis champions, including Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, began speaking out for equal pay and won the support of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and even the curmudgeonly former Wimbledon champ John McEnroe."
This to me is absolutely crazy! I honestly never even put two and two together thinking that equal pay had not yet reached celebrities' heights! And yet, as we speak, there are actors getting paid much more than actresses; male sports players are getting paid more than female players; the list, I'm sure goes on. When I thought about equal pay and putting a stop to pay discrimination in the workplace, I thought of women of the same status as myself and below. It kind of makes the problem seem more real than what I saw it before. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was a problem of our society, but it hits home to know that even women we see as strong and quite powerful-women that are looked up to-are being paid less than men doing the same exact thing as them! It is just crazy how whacked up our society and the world still is when it comes to men vs. women. Something needs to be done. The whole "Equal Pay Rule" doesn't seem to be doing its job whatsoever. Ugh, it is just extremely, extremely frustrating; especially when it feels like there seems to be nothing you can do to help stop it...
"Thirty-nine years after the British Wimbledon tennis tournament became a professional event, women's singles players now receive prize money equal to that of their male counterparts.
Women's tennis champions, including Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, began speaking out for equal pay and won the support of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and even the curmudgeonly former Wimbledon champ John McEnroe."
This to me is absolutely crazy! I honestly never even put two and two together thinking that equal pay had not yet reached celebrities' heights! And yet, as we speak, there are actors getting paid much more than actresses; male sports players are getting paid more than female players; the list, I'm sure goes on. When I thought about equal pay and putting a stop to pay discrimination in the workplace, I thought of women of the same status as myself and below. It kind of makes the problem seem more real than what I saw it before. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was a problem of our society, but it hits home to know that even women we see as strong and quite powerful-women that are looked up to-are being paid less than men doing the same exact thing as them! It is just crazy how whacked up our society and the world still is when it comes to men vs. women. Something needs to be done. The whole "Equal Pay Rule" doesn't seem to be doing its job whatsoever. Ugh, it is just extremely, extremely frustrating; especially when it feels like there seems to be nothing you can do to help stop it...
Interesting Facts of Obama & McCain; Equal Pay Controversy
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-08-28/article/30971?headline=Hillary-Die-Hards-Oppose-Equal-Pay-for-Women
I find this to be quite an interesting piece of writing-especially after reading the article that I just posted before this one. I really don't understand how candidates and those leading our country can be so freaking two-faced. McCain, according to the post before his, pays the women in his office substantially more. But, when faced with a bill to help women and protect against workplace discrimination, runs the opposite way it seems. Obama called off his campaign for a time to go back to Washington to back a bill to help end workplace discrimination for women. Unfortunately the bill did not pass and no progress was made. It is so funny to see how you can get so mixed up in who to support when you read conflicting pieces of information on one subject; let alone a multitude of issues!! I only have one question: Why can't politicians be PEOPLE?? Wait, let's rephrase that: Why can't politicians be NORMAL PEOPLE who believe one thing and stick with it despite what happens to them and how it will effect their popularity? What the American people want is someone who is true and honest in all aspects of the meaning. Not someone who says one thing and does another. Actions definitely speak louder than words...
I find this to be quite an interesting piece of writing-especially after reading the article that I just posted before this one. I really don't understand how candidates and those leading our country can be so freaking two-faced. McCain, according to the post before his, pays the women in his office substantially more. But, when faced with a bill to help women and protect against workplace discrimination, runs the opposite way it seems. Obama called off his campaign for a time to go back to Washington to back a bill to help end workplace discrimination for women. Unfortunately the bill did not pass and no progress was made. It is so funny to see how you can get so mixed up in who to support when you read conflicting pieces of information on one subject; let alone a multitude of issues!! I only have one question: Why can't politicians be PEOPLE?? Wait, let's rephrase that: Why can't politicians be NORMAL PEOPLE who believe one thing and stick with it despite what happens to them and how it will effect their popularity? What the American people want is someone who is true and honest in all aspects of the meaning. Not someone who says one thing and does another. Actions definitely speak louder than words...
Equal Pay: McCain vs. Obama
http://www.johnmccain.com/involving/petition3.aspx?guid=855a55ae-6e50-4877-98e6-7e35761c1f26&sid=google&t=obama&r=paypetition
To be honest, I am not a huge fan of politics. I know what I believe and what I stand for and normally that is as far as I go when it comes to debating, arguing, & even "bitching". Because, from my experience, I know a lot of people who simply complain for the sake of complaining and consider that debate. This link comes directly from Senator McCain's website. I simply googled "Equal Pay" opposers; I was simply looking for an article where some jerk was spouting crap about women and how the whole equal pay controversery is ludacris (I thought it would be interesting to refute and argue against.) Instead this was the first article that came up and I found it intriguing. I will not use this post to argue or even suggest who I am voting for-I simply am looking at it like I know nothing about either. It is an article on how Obama, according to "facts" actually pays the women in his office sufficiently less than men. The information was quite interesting and sparked my attention. McCain's department pays women, on average, more than men by almost $2,000 whereas the women in Obama's office get paid, on average, $9,000 less than the men. I just wanted others to be able to read this and come to their own conclusions pretty much. From what I read, I was quite flabbergasted. I hear Obama talk of equal pay rights and his support for them, but yet why are the women paid less. Based on this article, women in Obama's office are paid $.83 for every $1 of the men's wages. Of course, you can track down why this is and what is the reasoning behind it (the positions of the women & the like), but I don't want to get into that. Just thought the article was interesting and worth reading. That's all! Enjoy. =]
To be honest, I am not a huge fan of politics. I know what I believe and what I stand for and normally that is as far as I go when it comes to debating, arguing, & even "bitching". Because, from my experience, I know a lot of people who simply complain for the sake of complaining and consider that debate. This link comes directly from Senator McCain's website. I simply googled "Equal Pay" opposers; I was simply looking for an article where some jerk was spouting crap about women and how the whole equal pay controversery is ludacris (I thought it would be interesting to refute and argue against.) Instead this was the first article that came up and I found it intriguing. I will not use this post to argue or even suggest who I am voting for-I simply am looking at it like I know nothing about either. It is an article on how Obama, according to "facts" actually pays the women in his office sufficiently less than men. The information was quite interesting and sparked my attention. McCain's department pays women, on average, more than men by almost $2,000 whereas the women in Obama's office get paid, on average, $9,000 less than the men. I just wanted others to be able to read this and come to their own conclusions pretty much. From what I read, I was quite flabbergasted. I hear Obama talk of equal pay rights and his support for them, but yet why are the women paid less. Based on this article, women in Obama's office are paid $.83 for every $1 of the men's wages. Of course, you can track down why this is and what is the reasoning behind it (the positions of the women & the like), but I don't want to get into that. Just thought the article was interesting and worth reading. That's all! Enjoy. =]
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Equal Pay Day: 4/28/09
http://www.pay-equity.org/day.html
This is an awesome and unique creation. I have never heard of it until now and think it is quite amazing! In 1996, this Equal Pay Day was created by the National Committee on Pay Equity. Wearing red on this day helps show how far "in the red" women are in terms of pay compared to men. The day is on a Tuesday in April every year. It is on a Tuesday because in order for women to earn as much as their male counterparts, their week goes through to the next Tuesday, rather than stopping at Friday. So, Monday-Friday (men) = Monday-Tuesday (women). How depressing huh? This day is to help vocalize the very real problem that we women are facing in today's society. The next date for Equal Pay Day is April 28, 2009. I will be sure to wear my red!
This is an awesome and unique creation. I have never heard of it until now and think it is quite amazing! In 1996, this Equal Pay Day was created by the National Committee on Pay Equity. Wearing red on this day helps show how far "in the red" women are in terms of pay compared to men. The day is on a Tuesday in April every year. It is on a Tuesday because in order for women to earn as much as their male counterparts, their week goes through to the next Tuesday, rather than stopping at Friday. So, Monday-Friday (men) = Monday-Tuesday (women). How depressing huh? This day is to help vocalize the very real problem that we women are facing in today's society. The next date for Equal Pay Day is April 28, 2009. I will be sure to wear my red!
A 6 year battle...
Nursing Standard; Published June 11, 2008 Page 11
"NHS Professionals will issue guidance for temporary staff after the government announced that agency workers in the UK will receive pay equal to that of their permanent counterparts."
Why did it take that long? Many of the searches I pulled up for "equal pay" have been connected to the United Kingdom. It seems they may be more concerned with the issue than the United States. However, nurses over in Great Britain worked for over six years on getting the same pay as their male counterparts. Personally, I want to know where the idea that men can work and perform better than women in the same job came from. Women are "equal" to men in today's standards, but only to those who are completely incompetent and oblivious to what thousands of women have been striving towards for years and years now. It honestly frightens me to even head into the competitive workforce. I'm afraid that I will be one of the many women that are not given as high of pay, as good of benefits, etc... all because of my gender. I want to change that and am eager to learn more about what is actively being done to help women who are suffereing from unequal pay. Back to the excerpt at the top: Imagine six years...that is one group of women struggling for equal pay and it took six years. There are thousands and even millions of women out there who don't have equal pay. How long will it take them? That is a scary thought...
"NHS Professionals will issue guidance for temporary staff after the government announced that agency workers in the UK will receive pay equal to that of their permanent counterparts."
Why did it take that long? Many of the searches I pulled up for "equal pay" have been connected to the United Kingdom. It seems they may be more concerned with the issue than the United States. However, nurses over in Great Britain worked for over six years on getting the same pay as their male counterparts. Personally, I want to know where the idea that men can work and perform better than women in the same job came from. Women are "equal" to men in today's standards, but only to those who are completely incompetent and oblivious to what thousands of women have been striving towards for years and years now. It honestly frightens me to even head into the competitive workforce. I'm afraid that I will be one of the many women that are not given as high of pay, as good of benefits, etc... all because of my gender. I want to change that and am eager to learn more about what is actively being done to help women who are suffereing from unequal pay. Back to the excerpt at the top: Imagine six years...that is one group of women struggling for equal pay and it took six years. There are thousands and even millions of women out there who don't have equal pay. How long will it take them? That is a scary thought...
Equal Pay
The Financial Times; Published August 2008 Page 22
"The number of equal-pay claims lodged with employment tribunals jumped by 155 per cent in 2006-07 and rose sharply again last year, judging by figures published last week by Acas, the conciliation and mediation service."
This statement, in and of itself, I find completely ridiculous. We are living and working in the 21st Century and yet claims of unequal pay for women versus men are sky-rocketing. I find this number appalling and am quite shocked as well. Of course, due to the fact that I am not yet a working woman trying to make my way to the top, I am slightly unaware of the obstacles women are forced to hurdle through. The Equal Pay Rule was enacted in 1963. Let's see, that means our society is 45 years behind what our laws state. Has anyone ever thought of why that law has not been enforced as it should be? Perhaps it is because the women who are powerful enough to help enact this law are already benefitting from it so they don't think twice about the majority of women in the country OR the men who are on top don't care because they are not affected by it. Women before us have worked way too hard to give us freedoms for those freedoms not to be used.
"The number of equal-pay claims lodged with employment tribunals jumped by 155 per cent in 2006-07 and rose sharply again last year, judging by figures published last week by Acas, the conciliation and mediation service."
This statement, in and of itself, I find completely ridiculous. We are living and working in the 21st Century and yet claims of unequal pay for women versus men are sky-rocketing. I find this number appalling and am quite shocked as well. Of course, due to the fact that I am not yet a working woman trying to make my way to the top, I am slightly unaware of the obstacles women are forced to hurdle through. The Equal Pay Rule was enacted in 1963. Let's see, that means our society is 45 years behind what our laws state. Has anyone ever thought of why that law has not been enforced as it should be? Perhaps it is because the women who are powerful enough to help enact this law are already benefitting from it so they don't think twice about the majority of women in the country OR the men who are on top don't care because they are not affected by it. Women before us have worked way too hard to give us freedoms for those freedoms not to be used.
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